The not for profit organisation 'CompTIA' - Computing Technology Industry Association - was established in 1982. The operation offers vendor neutral qualifications that have made it a global leader in this field. This effectively means they're free to independently produce & monitor exams & accreditations that are required by the I.T. sector, irrespective of a particular company's commercial interests. With today's move to inter connectivity and systems 'convergence', this is a welcome move for the I.T. trainee, as it offers cross-platform learning and a knowledge of integration. Whenever a new examination is being assembled (or a previous one up-dated), CompTIA consults with leading members of the professional and educational world to provide balanced & very relevant material.

In-line with their 'ISO' standardisation move, 'CompTIA' have up-graded both A+ and N+ examinations to '2009' editions. The former 'A+' (edition 2006/2007) exams which were classified using the '600' prefix are now being retired worldwide through 2010. At the close of Aug 2010, the examinations will be retired in Great Britain. Up to that time, students can take either the '600' or the more recent '700' examinations in local test centres (namely 'Vue' and Prometric). Reason dictates that new students should study edition '2009'. CompTIA 'A+' Essentials and 'CompTIA' 'A+' Practical Application are the new exam titles (220/701 and 220-702 respectively). The principle modifications were a total re-structuring of the previous 4 exams in to only two examinations, and the inclusion of some teaching on newer relevant technologies. The old structure was one required Essentials exam & three electives, of which just one needed to be taken. During the last 4 years, the industry has grown to the stage where all four exams have become thought to be essential - hence the re-formatting in to 2 required examinations. CompTIA have also produced the 'BR-003' 'up-grade' exam, for trainees qualified under the '600' examinations who want to get up to date with the new '700' examinations. This would almost definitely call for additional learning, although not so much if you studied all of the earlier examinations, as opposed to just the required 2. Adequate study time need to be factored in for the new technology aspects though.

The job roles that follow are all appropriate for the individual with a 'CompTIA' A+ certification: PC Technician, IT Administrator, Remote Support Technician, Field Service Technician, Call Centre & Depot Technician and Help Desk Technician. Employment prospects open up to include Network Installers, Administrators & Technicians when you attain the CompTIA 'Network+' as well.

By far the most well-known of all of the 'CompTIA' qualifications are without doubt the 'A+' and the Network+. Collectively they encompass the first step toward many career-paths in IT, & therefore are frontrunners in their field. The 'CompTIA' A+ accreditation teaches the basics of PC maintenance, support, security, installation, fault finding and repair. What's more, the A+ deals with several relationship building skill-sets to help you communicate more effectively with other people. The CompTIA Network+ qualification extends this expertise to a wider comprehension of networks, servers & routers, & just how they communicate. 'Security' is obviously very important, and wireless technology is discussed to some degree. The two certifications go with each other nicely, & together form a very good start-up platform for other examination programs, or a solid career in I.T. support.

New starters in the IT sector can look to 'CompTIA' for quite a number of their initial study courses. Anyone thinking about getting into networking & support, or systems, servers & security should usually begin with CompTIA, though it is fair to say that 'CompTIA' accreditations can enhance any CV targeted towards the IT sector. There is also now a drive at CompTIA to deliver their starter level STRATA products to those people who don't actually work in IT, but would reap some benefits from an awareness of basic I.T. & just how it influences their work.

These accreditations and job roles are in many cases taken on the way to a senior I.T. job. Before you decide to commit yourself to a training program, give some thought to exactly where you prefer your ultimate destination to be. The best way to maximise your career-path the most is to obtain advice from an industry professional prior to starting on your training course. Many organisations offer 'packaged' career paths which include these qualifications, and so purchasing in a career bundle can provide substantial reductions in price.

For the A+ examinations allow yourself roughly 100 to 150 hours to train and prepare, and somewhat less for the N+ examinations (possibly up to 75 to 100 hours). Learning part time, this could be accomplished over a six month time period if you opt for the appropriate quality of training and first-rate examination preparation materials.

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